We were extremely lucky to attend this year’s State of Social – Australia’s largest social media conference with some pretty incredible guest speakers breaking down the latest trends, tactics and strategies to nail your social media.
We’ve broken down our main takeaways from the event so you too, can learn what we learned! And of course, we’ll be applying this to our own client work going forward.
The Lesson - ONE
We are currently in a mid-digital age – meaning we are applying digital solutions to the way we already do things, rather than rethinking the whole system. The post-digital age is where we really grow. This is where we will start to build things the way we should have the first time.
The Application
What are you doing in your business that is post-digital. Applying a digital solution to a previously analogue task? Are you actually doing things more efficiently and better, or have you simply transferred one system to another? How can you tear the whole thing down and rebuild in a truly digital way that helps your staff, clients & business?
The Lesson - TWO
How do you decide whether to engage with a platform? Should you be on TikTok, is Instagram where it’s at? The real question is – who else is there? Where are your clients?
The Application
We’ve done the hard work for you here – see below for 2021 Social media usage stats. But don’t forget – first movers on these platforms benefit from a lack of noise, lack of competition and getting to know the platform before anyone else. And your clients today might not be on a platform but your future clients could be.
Facebook*
Users 65 years and older are the fastest-growing group on Facebook
74% of Facebook users are high-income earners
Facebook Demographics (US)
13 - 17 (51%)
18 - 29 (79%)
30 - 49 (79%)
50 - 64 (68%)
65+ (46%)
Instagram*
62% of users log into their account at least once per day.
42% of users check their account multiple times per day.
More than 50% of Instagram accounts use Explore to discover new content and new accounts to follow.
Instagram Demographics (US)
13 - 17 (72%)
18 - 29 (67%)
30 - 49 (47%)
50 - 64 (23%)
65+ (8%)
LinkedIn*
87 million millennial's are on LinkedIn
Only 3 million users share content weekly on LinkedIn
LinkedIn Demographics (US)
18 - 29 (28%)
30 - 49 (37%)
50 - 64 (24%)
65+ (11%)
TikTok*
TikTok is the sixth largest social network
TikTok was the 5th most downloaded app of 2019, and is trending as the #1 downloaded app of 2020
The average Australian user spends 26 minutes per session on the app and opens the app 8 times per day
8% of 16 - 64 year old Australian's were on the platform in January 2020
41% of TikTok users are aged between 16-24 years old
People in their 40’s make up 16.8% of the app’s user base.
*Source: www.smperth.com
The Lesson - THREE
Be more niche than you think you need to be on social media. You can't be everything to everyone. And with so much noise on platforms, quality content is more important than ever - less content but better content!
The Application
We think this one is pretty self-explanatory. But we have included a useful social strategy shared by one of the speakers below to help you hone in on your content!
Someone should follow me because…
I will only post about…
These are the regular content segments I will post…
The Lesson - FOUR
Let your clients know - "We Get You". Tap into your client's identity and help them express it through your storytelling on social media.
The Application
Don’t speak at your clients. Don’t tell them what you think they need to hear or what they want to hear. Talk less. Take the time to really understand your client's perspective and then tell their story. Real estate agents, there are buyers out there right now panicking that they will miss out on their dream home. Instead of shouting about needing stock or showing them your latest property, take the time to understand what is behind the panic, understand what their situation might be. Do they need to sell their own home in order to buy? How can you tell their story through your own marketing? Understanding is the first step to starting a relationship with a potential client.
The Lesson - FIVE
Authenticity is more important than ever. With such a heavily saturated market, the best and most unique weapon you have is yourself. Real people build real relationships which build trust, which turns into sales.
The Application:
As much as you can, give your product/service a real personality. Use your voice and your face, or alternatively, use your clients, to help build this. Use real people, real stories, real experiences to build your brand's story and online presence. But how do you make this authentic? Don’t be afraid of real people's stories, don’t be afraid of not casting and scripting, don’t be afraid of letting go of the narrative and don’t be afraid of stores that don’t have a happy ending.